Cement finishing machine



Dec. 4, 1962 J. J. MORO LlN' ETAL 3,066,584

CEMENT FINISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1957 INVENTOR JOSEPH J M I N mdi k EVERETTE HOENINMAUSF ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1962 J. J. MORO LIN ET AL 3,066,584

CEMENT FINISHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I .4 5/ 43 E nllllngmglllgpgglljgl x INVENTOR JOSEPH J MOROLIN LEV FRETTE H OENINL HRUS EN BY NM,QA.,MMLRI ATTORNEY 3,066,584 CEMENT FINISHING MACHENE Joseph 5. More Lin, Glen Rock, and Leverette Hoeninghausen, East Paterson, N.J., assignors to Kalman Floor Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 9, 1957, Ser. No. 682,717 7 Claims. (Cl. 94-45) This invention relates to apparatus for the surfacing of plastic bodies and particularly to apparatus intended to be used for finishing surfaces of concrete slabs such as floor slabs.

Priorly, various types of mechanically operated mechanisms have been developed which were designed and in tended to reduce to the minimum the amount of manual labor which must be expended and the time required to reduce to a true plane and impart the desired surface finish to plastic bodies such as concrete floors, walks and roadways. A number of these mechanisms have come into widespread use, some particularly designed for use on roadways and others primarily intended for employment in the surfacing of floors. A known type of mechanically operated surface mechanism comprises a work engaging member, a motor coupled to the work engaging member for rotating the work engaging member and a handle which prevents rotation of the motor casing and constitutes a means for moving the implement over the surface of a concrete body in the desired manner.

One particular form of mechanism known in the artincludes a mechanism for imparting to the rotating workengaging member high frequency vibrations so that the plastic body below the apparatus is not only subjected to the action of the rotating disc but is subjected to high frequency vibrations. Such apparatus is highly effective and enables the user to properly surface a plastic body, such as a concrete floor, in a vastly improved manner. Thus, by the aid of the rotating and vibrating disc, an extremely dry concrete mixture may be surfaced, a mixture having such a low Water-cement ratio that it cannot be surfaced by ordinary means or methods since it is impossible to laterally displace or horizontally push material from the higher areas of the concrete onto the lower areas. The leveling of the floor surface is brought about by vertically depressing the higher areas instead of laterally displacing these areas and the concrete slab or the like which is produced is of superior construction, being more dense and free of voids. The surface is superior inasmuch as this method of leveling the same results in bringing to the surface a relatively stiff paste of cement and line sand barely sufiicient in thickness for the fine trowelling by hand. The improved method not only gives a superior product but insures substantial saving in time and labor costs. However, we have discovered that in employing vibratory and rotary motion to finish the concrete, it is not always necessary to employ both vibratory and rotary motion. For example, after the higher areas are vertically depressed and the plastic body approaches a level surface then the vibratory motion may be discontinued While maintaining the rotary motion to thus achieve an extremely smooth surface. One example of rotary and vibratory surface finishing machine is disclosed and described in detail inR. E. Davis Patent No. 2,386,843, issued October 16, 1945.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved concrete finishing machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved cement finishing machine Which is adapted selectively to apply vibratory motion to the concrete mass.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved vibratory-rotary cement finishing machine which is simple in construction and operation.

gggng @Q assasaa Patented Dec. 4., 1562 It is another object of this invention to provide a ce ment finishing machine in which rotary and vibratory motion are imparted to the concrete mass from a single prime mover and the vibratory motion may be selectively terminated at the will of the operator.

Briefly, in accordance with aspects of this invention, a prime mover is mounted on the cement finishing machine housing and is coupled through a drive shaft mounted in the housing to a planetary gear system and also to the work engaging or wear plate. The planetary gear system is coupled through pulleys and belts to oscillatory eccentric shafts mounted upon the wear plate. A clutch device is positioned to engage a clutch rim which is connected to one of the gears and to engage a cylindrical extension of the housing in response to the operation of a mechanical linkage located on the handle of the finishing machine. When the clutch is made to engage this rim and the housing extension the sun gear in the planetary system is held stationary and the drive shaft continues to rotate the wear plate. Idler gears or pinions in the planetary system are mounted above and connected to the wear plate and are coupled to the sun gear. The pinions are thus caused to rotate about the sun gear, which is prevented from rotating by the clutch. The pinions are thus rotated and this rotary motion is coupled through pulleys and belts to eccentric shafts mounted on the wear plate. The eccentric shafts thus impart oscillatory or vibratory motion to the wear plate and cause the plastic cement in the high areas to be depressed. As the cement finshing process progresses, the clutch may be released, permitting the sun gear to rotate with the shaft, thus eliminating the vibratory motion derived through the idler gear from the eccentrics.

In accordance with the aspects of this invention, several eccentrics or undulatory masses are mounted on the wear plate of the floor finishing machine and are coupled through individual pulleys and pinions to the drive shaft. These eccentrics are coupled asynchronously. For example, when two of the eccentrics are at. their extreme downward position, the two other eccentrics are in their extreme upward position. With such an arrangement, the eccentrics produce vibratory motion at a beat frequency equal to twice the frequency of the rotation of the eccentrics. Wth such an asynchronous operation, an increased frequency of vibratory motion is obtained Without the requirement of a high speed eccentric rotation.

Accordingly, it is a feature of this invention to provide a concrete finishing machine with a group of eccentrics coupled to the drive shaft and to connect the wear plate to this same shaft to permit one prime mover to provide both vibratory and rotary forces to the wear plate.

It is another feature of this invention to provide a floor finishing machine with a drive shaft connected to the rotatable wear plate, a planetary gear arrangement coupled to the drive shaft and to a group of eccentrics mounted on the wear plate and a clutch mechanism to control the actuation of the gears and thus cause the drive shaft to impart rotary motion to the eccentrics, which in turn impart vibratory motion to the wear plate.

It is another feature of this invention to provide 21 ccment finishing machine with a stationary housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the housing and connected to a wear plate, pinion gears mounted on the wear plate and coupled to a sun gear, the sun gear being mounted on the drive shaft, a clutch mechanism positioned adjacent a clutch rim on the sun gear selectively to engage the clutch rim and thus prevent the sun gear from rotating while the pinions are rotated about the sun gear thus causing the pinion gears to rotate eccentrics mounted on the wear plate and asynchronously coupled to the pinion gears to impart oscillatory or vibratory motion to the wear plate at a beat frequency.

It is another feature of this invention to provide a cement finishing machine with a sun gear rotatably mounted on the drive shaft, pinion gears mounted on a drive plate and coupled to the sun gear and coupled to rotatably mounted eccentrics on the wear plate and selectively to control the rotation of the eccentrics by means of a clutch mechanism which controls the rotation of the sun gear.

It is still a further feature of this invention to provide a cement finishing machine with a sun gear coupled to the drive shaft, a plurality of eccentrics coupled to the sun gear in asynchronous relation and a clutch mechanism for selectively disengaging the coupling between the drive shaft and the eccentrics selectively to control the actuation of the eccentrics.

These and various other objects and features of the invention will be understood more fully from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of a cement finishing machine housing and the mechanism within the housing in accordance with one illustrative embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1 with the housing removed;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section of one of the eccentrics taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view in elevation of the machine handle including the clutch mechanism for selectively controlling the vibratory motion; p v I FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a portion of the clutch mechanism of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a detailed view of one of the pulleys and the associated timing gear belt.

Referring now to the drawing, a housing 10 has a drive shaft 12 rotatably mounted in the center of the housing. A cylindrical member 14 is mounted on the lower end of shaft 12 by means of plate 15 and bolts 17 and secured against rotation with respect to shaft 12 by a suitable key or shear pin (not shown). Drive plate 16 is secured to cylindrical member 14 by means of welds such as weld 19. Wear or cement contacting plate 20 and master plate 21 are connected together by means of studs 23 and nuts 25. The master plate is secured to the drive plate by means of anglebrackets 27 and resilient mountings 29 which are secured by means of bolt assemblies 31. A sun gear 33 is rotatably mounted on shaft 12 and separated from cylindrical member 14 by means of ballbearings 35. A clutch rim 37 is mounted on and secured to sun gear 33. Support plate 11 is an integral part of the housing 10 and is held against rotation by means of a handle. A support plate extension 39 is mounted on the under surface of support plate 11 and spaced from sun gear 33 by means of ballbearings 41. Suitable frictional washers 43 are inserted in recesses adjacent ballbearings and 41 to reduce the frictional wear of the machine. A clutch band 45 is positioned adjacent clutch rim 37 and support plate extension 39 to secure clutch rim 37 against rotation to produce the vibratory motion of the machine in a manner which will be explained in detail below. Pinion gears 47 are mounted on shafts 49, which shafts are held in rotatable relationship in supports 51. Pinion gears 47 engage the gear teeth of sun gear 33. Pulleys 53 are mounted on shafts 49 and coupled through suitable timing gear belts 54. Positive engagement and hence positive asynchronization of eccentrics is insured by this means. Pulleys 55 are mounted on shafts 57 which shafts are supported in rotatable relationship by supports 59 and 61. Undulatory masses or eccentrics 63 are also mounted on shafts 57 to impart vibratory motion to the wear plate 20 when eccentrics 6-3 are rotated.

As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, a handle 65 is mounted on housing 10 by means of angle brackets 67 and bolts 68. A clutch mechanism including clutch operating lever 70, ratchet positioner 73, operating cable 75, link 77 and clutch band 45 are linked together to permit the operator to actuate the clutch into contact with the clutch rim 37 and the housing extension 39. The clutch is biased in an unoperated position by means of a helical spring 79 which surrounds the rod linking the clutch band and the operating cable. The clutch linkage is held in position by a suitable bracket 81 which may be welded or otherwise secured to housing 10.

It is of course understood that other clutch arrangements may be employed selectively to prevent rotation of clutch rim 37. For example, if the clutch band mounting were of sufiiciently rugged construction to arrest the rotation of sun gear 33, then housing extension 39 might be eliminated.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, each eccentric 63 is mounted with its axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the adjacent eccentrics 63. This arrangement is provided for the purpose of applying vibratory motion to wear plate 20 at diametrically opposed areas and thus produce a smooth surface on the cement. When the various eccentrics 63 are coupled by means of belts 54 linking pulleys 53 and 55, the coupling is accomplished to cause adjacent eccentrics to be at opposite positions of rotation with respect to each other and preferably at the same position of rotation with respect to diametrically opposite eccentrics. Thus the wear plate will receive vibratory forces which will not tend to cause the plate to pitch or roll and thus introduce irregularities in the surface of the cement. v

The prime mover (not shown) is mounted in housing 10 and coupledto drive shaft 12 through means of a suitable speed reducing gear train such as a worm and wheel (not shown) to rotate drive plate 16 and connected Wear plate 20. When drive plate 16 is rotated, the pinions 47 will be rotated about the axis of shaft 12 and the inherent friction of pinions 47 and sun gear 33 will cause the sun gear to also rotate about the axis of shaft 12. When sun gear 33 rotates, no relative motion between sun gear 33 and pinions 47 takes place and therefore pulleys 53 do not transmit rotary motion to eccentrics 63. If, however, lever 70 is moved to its on position, clutch 45 will be moved into contact with rim 37 and housing extension 39 and thereby securing sun gear 33 against rotation. When sun gear 33 is secured against rotation and pinions 47 continue to rotate about the axis of shaft 12,

rotary motion will be imparted to eccentrics 63 by means of pulleys 53 and 55 and the belt couplings 54.

Thus, in accordance with aspects of this invention, the floor finishing machine imparts a smooth vibratory motion at a beat frequency of the frequency of an individual eccentric and this vibratory motion may be selectively disengaged while the rotary motion of the Wear plate is nevertheless maintained, the vibratory motion being derived from the same prime mover which rotates wear plate 20.

Another distinct combination of elements for producing rotary and controlled vibratory motion to the wear plate of a cement finishing machine is disclosed and described in our application Serial No. 682,716, filed September 9, 1957.

It is, of course, understood that the principles of this invention may be incorporated in equivalent embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a concrete finishing machine or the like a stationary housing, a wear plate rotatably mounted in said housing and adapted to contact the concrete surface, a drive shaft projecting through said housing, means for operatively connecting said drive shaft to said wear plate, a plurality of pairs of eccentric elements, one element of each pair being disposed on the opposite side of said drive shaft relative to the other element of the pair and rotatably mounted on said wear plate with adjacent elements disposed out of phase relative toeach other and with the elements of each pair positioned at the same position of relative rotation whereby each of the elements of a pair pass synchronically through their extreme upward and downward positions, and transmission means between said shaft and eccentric elements for asynchronously driving said elements, said transmission means including timing gear belt means, planetary gearing and clutch means for engaging said gearing, said machine further including clutch actuating means for actuating said clutch at will to drive said eccentric elements to impart vibratory motion to said rotating wear plate.

2. In a concrete finishing machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said planetary gearing includes a sun gear and a planet gear defining input and output elements, and means for operatively connecting the input element to said shaft wherein said timing gear belt means operatively and positively connects the output element to said eccentric elements.

3. In a concrete finishing machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein said clutch means includes a clutch rim operatively connected to said sun gear and wherein said housing is mounted on a support plate, a cylindrical extension connected to said support plate in the region of said clutch rim, a clutch band positioned adjacent said clutch rim and said housing extension and further includes means for moving said clutch band into engagement with said clutch rim and said cylindrical housing extension whereby rotation of said wear plate causes said planet gear to rotate around said sun gear and impart rotary motion to said eccentric elements.

4. In a concrete finishing machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said machine further includes a handle connected to said housing and wherein said means for moving said clutch band includes a lever mounted on said handle and a mechanical linkage connecting said lever and said clutch band whereby actuation of said lever causes said clutch band to be moved into engagement with said clutch rim and said support plate extension.

5. In a concrete finishing machine comprising a stationary housing, a wear plate rotatably mounted in said housing, a drive plate connected to said wear plate, a drive shaft mounted axially of said housing and connected to said drive plate, a sun gear rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, a clutch rim connected to said sun gear, a cylindrical extension on said housing extending to a region adjacent said clutch rim, clutch means for frictionally engaging said sun gear and said housing extension, a plurality of pinions rotatably mounted on said drive plate, a plurality of timing gear belts coupled to said pinions and to said sun gear, and a plurality of eccentric members, one element of each pair being disposed on the opposite side of said drive shaft relative to the other element of the pair and rotatably mounted on the surface of said wear plate with adjacent elements positioned out or phase relative to each other and diametrically opposite pairs of the elements positioned at the same position of rotation, whereby each of the elements of a pair pass synchronically through their extreme upward and downward positions.

6. In a concrete finishing machine in accordance with claim 5 wherein certain of said eccentric members are mounted with their axes substantially perpendicular to the axes of certain other of said eccentric members.

7. In a concrete finishing machine in accordance with claim 6 wherein said drive plate is resiliently mounted on said wear plate to diminish the vibrations imparted to said drive plate from said wear plate and wherein said means for moving said clutch band into engagement with said clutch rim and said housing extension includes a manually operable mechanical linkage connected to said clutch band.

crete Institute March-April, 1936 Proceedings, vol. 32, page 445 (pages 2 and 3 relied upon).

Mall Contractors Equipment, brochure, received in Scientific Library March 15, 1957 (page 14 relied upon). Engineering News-Record (magazine), published May 19, 1955 (page 52 relied upon). 

